Feds Release UNM Sexual Assault Findings

On Friday the U.S. Department of Justice released the findings of its investigation into how the University of New Mexico handles sexual assault and harassment.

The DOJ launched its investigation of UNM’s sexual assault policies in 2014 after receiving complaints about the university’s handling sexual assault and harassment cases. The feds have concluded that UNM is out of compliance with civil rights and education laws about gender discrimination, and that its poor handling of sexual assault on campus has had “severe and lasting educational impacts” on students.

The Justice Department commended UNM for working with the investigators and taking steps to strengthen its response to harassment and assault over the past year. But it’s also ordering the university to take steps to get back into compliance, including revising policies on assault and eliminating hostile environments on campus.